Former Nuriootpa High School student, Lucy Elsworthy is preparing to represent Australia in the World Dodgeball Championships in Edmonton, Canada beginning in August.
Lucy, 21, has only been playing the sport for about a year, but with a state level track and field background, she’s been able to use her sporting prowess to transition with rapid success to dodgeball.
“I got into a small social team, and then from there I found my love for the sport, with all the adrenaline and everything!” said Lucy.
“I used to throw javelin and that sort of thing, so that def.initely transferred over.
“High jump has given me a lot of movement as well.”
Lucy explained that dodgeball is much like the game people would remember from primary school, just “amplified”.
There are six players per side, with the aim being to knock out every player with the ball to win a ‘set’.
Over two twenty minute halves, the team to have won the most sets, wins the game.
Throwing and catching are two of the key skills of the sport, with some high level players throwing at 120 km per hour.
“And then you’ve got your dodging aspects, which is probably the most visually appealing part of dodgeball,” said Lucy.
“You’ve got people flinging themselves around, up, down, sideways. It’s quite a lot of fun!”
Lucy will be competing in two teams in Canada, the women’s foam ball, and the women’s cloth ball divisions.
Cloth dodgeball has a slightly different set of rules, with a ball made of fabric that is slightly larger and more difficult to hold than the foam ball.
With high expectations on this year’s Australian team, Lucy is looking forward to the opportunity to compete against other countries such as Mexico, the UK and the USA.
“There’s an atmosphere that’s created at high level dodgeball, that you just cannot simulate anywhere else,” she said.
“There’s so much energy and excitement everywhere... Every step that I’ve gone up, it’s got better and better.
“I’m really excited to see what other countries have to offer and how it differentiates from Australia’s play.”
Lucy is planning a Canadian themed quiz night at the Angaston Bowling Club on July 9 to help fund raise her way to the championships.
